CSUS is separate and distinct from UConn in Connecticut's higher education structure. And in developing a long-range, well though-out, comprehensive and transformative capital plan, officials at CSUS have leaned on their strengths and learned from UConn's mistakes.

Their capital plan is not an unchecked island unto itself; rather, it is integrated into the planning processes and oversight of the Department of Public Works, and the governor retains the right to interrupt or postpone planned projects if the state's fiscal circumstances demand delay. Those critical financial safeguards, absent in the much-heralded UConn 2000 effort, underscore the care with which this plan has been developed, in close coordination with leaders of every political stripe in education, business and government.

Led by Chairman Lawrence D. McHugh and a dedicated board of directors, Chancellor David G. Carter and four recently minted and talented university presidents, plans have been refined to create a blueprint for providing students with the premier education, top-notch facilities, advanced technology and cutting-edge expertise they will need to succeed.

The $1.075 billion CSUS 2020 Capital Plan replaces antiquated facilities, some dating back more than half a century, provides for security and safety, permits design and planning of facilities to proceed in an orderly fashion, and responds to work-force shortages areas current and projected with innovative and concrete educational programs and facilities.

In recent years, the CSUS system has had to endure a lack of follow-through by state government on much-needed projects previously approved by the legislature. To continue such an approach is shortsighted, inefficient and ineffective. This plan establishes a timetable and agenda of priorities to proceed prudently.

Why is this investment necessary, especially at a time of increasing interest in holding bonding levels in check? Because the graduates of the four universities of the Connecticut State University System -- Central, Eastern, Southern and Western -- are the core of Connecticut's future.

The data couldn't be more crystal clear. An astonishing 93 percent of current students are from Connecticut, many of them transferring from other institutions. More importantly, an resounding 86 percent of graduates remain in Connecticut to pursue their careers, raise families and contribute to the fabric of life in our state.

At a time when the eroding cohort of 20- and 30-year-olds headline virtually every report about Connecticut's population, CSUS graduates are one group that sticks in our state. Thus, improving the education provided by these institutions is clearly an investment in Connecticut's future, the benefits of which will accrue to every resident.

So, just who are these graduates? They are our future teachers (already, two of every three classroom teachers in Connecticut schools graduates from a CSUS university), small business entrepreneurs and bank presidents, directors of nursing and mechanical engineers, chambers of commerce executives and municipal fire chiefs. In the traditional Land of Steady Habits, they are precisely the people who will keep Connecticut steady, our economy growing and our quality of life second to none.

As has been well-documented, Connecticut's decades-long investment in UConn, spurred by achievement on the basketball court, has paid great dividends, academically and otherwise. Now, as a state, we must turn our attention to the other, larger university system, because it is in all of our interests to do so.

In fact, the continuing transformation of these universities is the great untold story of Connecticut. Toiling in the immense shadow of UConn (and UConn sports), the four universities are all but unrecognizable to anyone who hasn't checked in for awhile.

The level of academic scholarship, among faculty and students, is far and above what most expect and many remember. The diversity of the students reflects not only the changing demographics of Connecticut, but the certain face of our state in the decades to come.

We have read and heard about the travails of transportation, health care, and housing. Certainly those must be dealt with, decisively and without delay. But to do so without adequately planning for a higher education system that keeps pace with the requirements of business and the economic needs of our state would be to proceed at our own peril.

The interdependence of corporate success and educational excellence is undeniable. We will not succeed as a state if we thoughtlessly leave untapped the great potential of the next generation. Students attending the four CSUS universities are at the heart of the solution to meeting those challenges.

To their credit, CSUS leaders recognize that higher education stands atop a primary and secondary education system with which it is inextricably linked. That's why their leadership has not only sat down with business to map a course for the future, they're doing the same with educators from pre-school to high school.

Innovative programs with school districts in every corner of the state provide a glimpse of what can be achieved if devoted educators at every level are provided the opportunity and the wherewithal to solve seemingly intractable problems.

Any expenditure of state funds brings a chorus of those urging that the money would be better allocated elsewhere -- or not allocated at all. As business leaders, we have not been shy about advocating for more business-friendly taxing-and-spending policies in Connecticut.

We recognize, however, that a thriving state is not built on business alone. We understanding that Central, Eastern, Southern and Western are fundamental if we are to fashion a state poised to flourish for years to come.

We look forward to implementation of the CSUS 2020 plan -- and to working with the Connecticut State University System to build a brighter future for our state and its people.